Holy Resurrection festively marked beginning of new Church school year

With the archpastoral blessings of His Eminence Metropolitan +Christopher, liturgical festivities at Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral began with Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at 9:30 AM The Divine Liturgy was served by special guest hierarch, His Grace Bishop Dr. +Maxim of Western America, assisted by cathedral clergy, Fr Darko Spasojevic, cathedral dean, Fr. Radovan Jakovljevic, Fr. Vasilije Vranic, Fr. Dennis Pavichevich, retired parish priest of Holy Resurrection and former dean, and Deacon Damjan Bozic.

Following the gospel reading His Grace Bishop +Maxim delivered an inspiring sermon. At the conclusion of the Liturgy, His Grace Bishop +Maxim officiated at a special service of Invocation of the Holy Spirit, beseeching the treasury of blessings to abide with the students, parents, teachers, and entire Cathedral community during the forthcoming church school year. Normal.dotm 0 0 1 386 2204 Serbian Orthodox Church 18 4 2706 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false

"At the beginning of the Church School year, in the invocation of the Holy Spirit, we ask that God fills our minds and hearts with the grace and light of the Holy Spirit, so that we may come ‘to the understanding of His Gospel teachings,' so that having understood we may teach and witness to the others," explains Fr. Darko Spasojevic, the Cathedral Dean.

Following the Divine Services, the entire Cathedral community was invited to a luncheon and presentations by His Grace Bishop +Maxim . Parish priest, Fr. Radovan Jakovljevic greeted all parishioners and introduced guest hierarch. Fr. Radovan has said: "In addition to serving as head of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America, His Grace Bishop Dr. +Maxim is docent of the Divinity School of the Theological Faculty of the University of Belgrade, professor of Patrology at the St. Sava School of Theology in Libertyville, editor of "Theology" - the Journal of the Theological Faculty in Belgrade, and has taught Christian Anthropology and Sociology at the University of East Sarajevo. His Grace is an accomplished theologian whose scholarly articles and works have been published in numerous academic journals."  His Grace Bishop Maxim eloquently spoke on the theme "Life of the Christian between Biochemistry and Freedom in Christ."

Second guest was Ms. Kathryn Saclarides, an Orthodox missionary from the Chicago area who has spent time ministering to God's people in Albania and Ethiopia.  Ms. Kathryn's talk was titled "Faith Unashamed, Love Unfeigned." Describing the main points of her talk, Ms. Saclarides stated: "In this presentation I discuss our calling to be ‘missionaries,' to live Orthodoxy in ‘deed and in truth.' I start by discussing first how to be a missionary in our prayer life through praying for the health and salvation of others. Second, I explain how we can be ‘parish missionaries' through leading lives of active service within our Parish Community. I move on to discuss the work of Orthodox Churches in this country and how they are serving those in need - finally I present the work of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center in Albania, and the work of International Orthodox Christian Charities in Ethiopia."

Before and after the presentations of the distinguished guest speakers, parents where able to enroll their children in the Cathedral's church school program which offers classes on the Orthodox Faith in a highly interesting and age-specific format, with instruction available in both English and Serbian languages, on Sundays between September and May. The first day of church school classes will be Sunday, September 20th, 2009, with classes starting at 9:45 AM.

Source: Metropolitanate of Libertyville-Chicago